Hirono, colleagues introduce measure aimed at rebuilding public schools nationwide

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawai’i, is one of nearly 100 Washington lawmakers to introduce the Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026, a bicameral bill targeting $130 billion in new federal infrastructure funding to help local school districts nationwide address building and modernization needs.

The funds would be used to improve public school infrastructure and environments to ensure learning facilities are safe, healthy, sustainable and offer positive learning environments for all students.

“Too many public schools across the country face critical underfunding, resulting in deteriorating facilities that have become health and safety risks for teachers and students,” said Hirono in a release about the proposed legislation. “Our students deserve to learn in safe, healthy and modern environments to ensure they receive the quality public education they need to best prepare them for the future.”

School infrastructure has been underfunded for decades.

A 2025 analysis by the 21st Century School Fund found national spending for K-12 school buildings falls short by an estimated $90 billion annually.

U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in a 2020 analysis that 54% of the nation’s school districts need to update or completely replace multiple systems in their schools.

This proposed legislation would create a federal-state partnership for school infrastructure and provide, throughout 5 years, a total of $130 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility capital needs.

It would also create more than 2 million jobs.

The money and financing would be available to local school districts and targeted at physical and digital infrastructure upgrades, with an emphasis on schools of greatest need with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff.

Specifically, the Rebuild America’s Schools Act would:

• Create a $100 billion grant program and $30 billion tax credit bond program targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff.
• Create more than 2 million jobs based on an Economic Policy Institute analysis that each $1 billion spent on construction creates 17,785 jobs.
• Require states to develop comprehensive statewide public databases on the condition of public school facilities (most states do not track school facility conditions; this would provide much-needed insight into the condition of our public schools).
• Improve broadband and Wi-Fi in public schools.

The legislation is also endorsed by a broad coalition of organizations.

“This legislation is a significant investment not only in public education infrastructure, but also in our students’ futures and the surrounding community,” Hirono said.

Full text of the legislation is available online.